The Unspoken Sacrifice
by KittenFair
Summary: It was an easy mistake to assume he was just a clever toy, but to Reeve, Cait Sith had been so much more.
There was a point in the development of the FF7 character Reeve Tuesti where he was originally planned to be what's known as an "Inspire" - someone who can breathe life into inanimate objects. This, of course, would mean that Cait Sith was not merely a very well developed AI but a legitimately living being. Though this was supposedly not seen as true through the final cut of the OG, I have always held it as my headcanon that Reeve is, and therefore Cait is alive (also justifying the fact that he can be healed with materia like the rest of the party.)

Which is why I just cried after finishing the Temple of the Ancients, playing through the OG, and am now going to share what I think the whole scene was - just who Cait was talking to, and waving at, before he finished the puzzle and was crushed into the Black Materia. A lot of the text is taken from the game, original post was on Tumblr.

* * *

Cait Sith bounced his way from the trio as they fled the temple, going deeper towards his goal. "She told me to 'Be strong,' I feel so happy..."

There was a racket over the connection, presumably more tremors of the building, and Mog tripped, spilling Cait onto the rock floor. Thousands of miles away in the privacy of his office, Reeve jolted to the edge of his seat. " _Cait?!_ "

"Owww..." The animatronic feline heaved himself up, shaking a little. "Och, what happened? More tremors, I guess. Maybe the Ancients know why I'm here... I can still move more, dun'ya worry."

"Of course," Reeve said, making himself sit back. He could see the altar through Cait's eyes, and smiled as it bounced with his jumping about. "Easy now."

"This must be it, eh?" The puzzle was impressive, but nothing they couldn't handle. Reeve had been doing and making puzzles his whole life, after all, and had passed on the fascination. "The Ancients sure did a great job making this."

"Naturally, they appear to have been quite clever." Reeve watched clever white paws work in silence a long moment. "You're doing a wonderful job."

"Thankee! I can protect the Planet too, y'know! I'm kinda embarrassed..." they both chuckled at that, a little weaker for the strain of the situation - it was almost done now. "Of course, you've got more - there's plenty of stuffed toys like my body around. Ya won't be alone, ya know that."

"There's only ever one you," Reeve managed, hands curling into fists. He transmitted Cait's words to the party - _there's only one me,_ gods help them if they forgot it.

"Don't forget me even if another Cait Sith comes along!"

Of course, he knew another body was ready. They didn't know if Reeve could truly save him, move his spirit in time, at such a distance, but that was their secret. "I'll never forget you, my friend."

"I know, Reeve." Cait's voice gentled, the connection to the party muted. "Cut our ties. You don't need ta feel this."

"I'm not leaving you alone with this, don't waste time arguing," Reeve said, just as quiet. The _thought_ of leaving his dear friend alone at the very end was intolerable. "Gods watch over your spirit, my friend. You're a true hero."

Cait was silent for a long moment. "I come by it honest. There could be no other way... it's about done now. At least cut the mental feedback, Reeve."

"I'll be fine, Cait. Don't worry about me."

"You'd better be!"

The connection to the party was restored, a final message in the chipper tones they knew more than any other; they really couldn't know better, no one did. "Goodbye then! I guess I'm off to save the Planet!"

The final pieces to the puzzle were solved, and the temple groaned as it collapsed in on itself.

Maybe it took a couple minutes, but it felt like an eternity, the bright spot on the edge of Reeve's consciousness winking out to an aching coldness. He curled in on himself with a low whine, reaching blindly for the anchor point he'd left in Cait Sith 2, "activating" it where its predecessor had left it in the forest. It flared the same, and yet...

"Cait?" He hated how desperate he sounded, but he just... he _needed..._

"I'm online, it's alright... some of it made it, I think. I remember... some things."

"Okay." Some was better than none. Shared memory, if not the exact same spirit. It was _something,_ at least. "Go find the others."

"... you sure you don' need a minute?" He asked quietly. "You didn't cut the bond."

"No, and I won't cut yours, even if I knew you were going to..." _die,_ he thought, and that was too much. Reeve's breath caught in a pained hitch, heavy with unshed tears. "We won't forget him. But you're special too. You don't have to wait, Cait. I can handle myself. Go see to the others."

He could feel the warmth of his energy, somehow stronger even at that same distance. Maybe the first lived on in the second, somehow. It was a nice thought. "It's okay. Really."

It wasn't, and they both knew it. But there was nothing to be done right then, and Cait was kind enough to let it go. "Alright. I'll see ya later, then. For now I'll find 'em... I'll make ya proud, Reeve."


End file.
